The 104 Book Challenge - 2015 discussion

This year starts out pretty well reading-wise. Home organization and cleaning-wise, not so good.
1. Shadow Music I was bored and needed some entertainment. This is a re-read but it is a fun, light romance.
2. Trust No One Again, pure entertainment.
3. A Man of His Word I read this as part of a book club. Nice but not great.
4. Paperboy I listened to most of this on cd. I had the book too so I did a little of both. The reader was really great. I liked that I saw into a different time period. I liked that I got to understand about a disability that is not featured often and I knew very little about it. I also liked that this was somewhat autobiographical and an interesting story. Despite all of these things, I didn't love the book. It was just about a 2.5 -3 stars for me.
5. Tried and True Conneally is always good for a fun, light read. This starts a new series featuring 3 sisters who disguised themselves as women and fought in the civil war at the urging of their father. Now he has them out west homesteading so they can have a lot of land.
6. For Joey: A love story Didn't love this one.
7. We Were Liars I am hugely in the minority here but I didn't like this one. I listened to it, the reader was good. The characters didn't catch me. I had a hard time deciding why I should care about any of this. There was nothing to leave me inspired or thoughtful.

8. Royal Target Needed a light read. This was a re-read.

9. The Last Lecture Interesting and thoughtful read. I want to share this one with my family.

Nanci wrote: 9. The Last Lecture Interesting and t..."

It's been a while since I read this, but I remember thinking that I wish I could be that eloquent if I were in that situation.

Lyssa wrote: "Nanci wrote: 9. The Last Lecture Interesting and t..."

It's been a while since I read this, but I remember thinking that I wish I could be that..."

I think so too. This guy had some great ideas and thoughts to share.

10. Royal Secrets

11. Lark Rising

12. Havana Storm

13. The Golem and the Jinni

14. All Fall Down

15.Stand-In Wife

16. Corporate Husband

17. The Wedding Wager

18. Wildflowers and Kisses: A love story

19. Prince of Wolves

20The Hero This is my first of Robyn Carr. I thought she told a good story.

21. The Cowboy Comes Home I liked this one. I thought the romance was good. Mostly, I really liked it because I listened to the audio book and I love listening to Jack Garrett narrate a book. His voice is just sexy. He does all of the Linda Lael Miller books too.

21. Dodger Re-read for me, I had to read it for a book club. Once again, so delightful. This is much different from the discworld books. It is actually historical fiction. He touches on some very important issues but does so in such a way that there are bits of wisdom and many laughts. The mystery is also fun.

22. Legion This is also a re-read. I had to brush up on it so I could read the 2nd book that just recently came out. I think it is a fascinating idea this is built on.

23. Like Dragons did they Fight

24. Mystic City I didn't really like this much. It could have been my mood but I didn't like the characters and I just thought it was depressing.

25. The Accidental Highwayman: Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, a Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides I wanted to really like this one but I just thought it was OK. I know others who loved it but I had a hard time getting into it.

26. Talon 3 stars

27. Failsafe 3 stars

28. The Fill-In Boyfriend Really loved this one. 4 stars Just what I was in the mood for.

29. Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a Screen-Driven World 4 stars

30. Taken 4 stars

31. The Shadows 3 stars

32. Brave New World I remember liking this in High School. I didn't like it so much this time.

33. A Desperate Fortune 3 stars

34. The Tenacious Miss Tamerlane I like Kasey Michaels usually. I didn't really like this one. 2 stars

35. The Vanishing Season 3 stars I was disappointed with this story but I had a hard time putting it down for some reason.

36. A Most Inconvenient Marriage I didn't really like this one that much for some reason. 2 stars

37. The Sherlockian I love a good Sherlock Holmes based story. 4 stars

38. Dream a Little Dream I really enjoyed this series starter from Gier. I can't wait to read the rest. 4 stars

39. At Bluebonnet Lake 3 sars

40. Return of the Cowboy Doctor 3 stars

41. Her Wyoming Hero 3 stars

42. Home to Wyoming 3 stars
43. The Greek's Tiny Miracle 2 stars

44. A Cowboy's Heart 3 stars

45. The Duke's Baby 2 stars

46. The New Cowboy 3 stars

I went on a little binge. Kind of Crazy .

47. His Montana Bride 2 stars

48. Prelude for a Lord 3 stars

49. The Water Castle 3 stars This is a fun children's book mystery. Kind of historical. I liked it.

50. Summer Campaign 3 stars

51. Mark of the Thief 3 stars

52. Dreaming Spies 3 1/2 stars. Good series if you like Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Some are more engaging than others.

53. The Language of Flowers I read this for a book club. I don't think I would have picked it up otherwise. At first I couldn't decide how I felt about it but I kept thinking about it so I guess that means it made a real impression on me. 3 stars


54. The Nonesuch Every so often I have to read a Heyer or two. This one is my daughter's favorite and she just kept telling me I needed to re-read it. I liked it but it isn't one of my fav's.

55. The Talisman Ring
On the other hand, this is one of my favorites from Heyer. I had a lot of fun listening to this one on cd.

56. Only a Promise
The Survivor's Club has hooked me. This one was not one of the best but I liked it.

57. Waistcoats & Weaponry 3 1/2 stars

58. Prudence I am not sure I will like this series as well as I like the Finishing School series. The main character (Prudence) hasn't quite grown on me yet. 2 1/2 stars

59. Spirited Away This is a re-read. I just needed a light romance with some burley Highland knights who are ghosts.

60. Midnight Thief
I really liked this YA fantasy! 4 1/2 stars. This one caught me from the first page and I loved it. I can't wait to read the sequel in August. I thought this was a very talented author.

61. Taming the French Tycoon 2 1/2 stars. Just needed a quick romantic read.

62. Saint Anything 3 1/2 stars. I love Sarah Dessen and this book is an enjoyable read. Not my favorite, but a good one.

63. Illusionarium This is an eerie kind of steampunk but I really liked it. A very different story from her other book but the tone is the same to me. 4 stars

64. Don't Turn Around Teen Thriller. Mystery and bad guys and on the run. I liked it but I don't think I will invest in the time for the other books. Maybe when my list isn't so long. (haha) 3 stars

65. The Storybook of Legends Cute book for elementary age. 3 stars

66. The Princess in Black I just wanted to see what Hale's children's books had to offer. This is a fun, chapter book for about 1st or second grade. It was cute.

67. Now and Forever Fun, second in the series. These are light but there are some serious topics addressed. 3 stars.

68. Silver in the Blood 3 1/2 stars. This is a fun tale with a new twist on werewolves and the Dracul family. (Little spoiler: no vampires in this story. Just the novel by Bram Stoker is mentioned.) Two girls with a magical, but dark heritage discover that they do not want to enter into the family plans for them.

69. Fish In A Tree I had a hard time with this children's book. OK, it is a given that it is a children's book and I am not a child, so maybe I judge it too harshly. I really wanted to love it. I love the idea of it and I even love that author brought the topic of dyslexia (and addressed some bullying type issues) to light. I just didn't quite like the way she went about it. The children and teacher seemed like stereo-typical caricatures. For some reason this book just didn't ring true. Even given that, I do think it is something that you read with your children or have your elementary school child read. It does help with understanding and empathy for those who learn differently than you do. A younger set will most likely like it better.

70. Sophia's Secret
I started listening to this audio book and I kept thinking this is the same story as the first book of Kearsley's that I read several years ago. Then I looked it up and discovered that it is the same book, just titled differently. This title in the UK, The Winter's Sea in US. I was ok with that because I actually had been wanting to read it again and hadn't been able to get to it because I hadn't found it in audio. So... win,win all the way around. This is my favorite of Kearsley's. It really grabs my emotions and I am totally involved in the characters. So, for me, this is a 4 1/2-5 star book. I will most likely read it again in a 6 or 7 years.

Ooh.. so many interesting ideas. My six-year-old loved The Princess in Black. I'm curious about Fish in a Tree because it's on the middle school reading olympics list.

Mary wrote: "Ooh.. so many interesting ideas. My six-year-old loved The Princess in Black. I'm curious about Fish in a Tree because it's on the middle school reading olympics list."

I would be interested to know how you feel about Fish in a Tree. You have a better handle on what younger people like than I do. My baby will graduate from high school this coming year. Maybe I am so far out of the 6th grade zone that I don't really know how kids talk and act anymore. I do remember being so glad we were done with 6th grade.

71. The Paid Companion 3.5 stars Funny and light. This had a good romantic mystery. You kind of know how it will end but sometimes you just need a chick/flick in book form.

72. The Worst Class Trip Ever
We listened to this on a car trip. The reader was good and we enjoyed it. This is a story of how sticking your nose into someone else's business can get you into real trouble. At least when you are writing a children's story. Ages 5th grade through 9th might enjoy it most. The plot is a bit predictable with classic Dave Barry humor. Just a fun read with a bit of mystery.

73. The Naturals
This teen thriller is pretty intense. The author gives you a look into a serial killer's mind and the description of the gruesome murders is a somewhat graphic. I would definitely not give this to a squeamish reader and I would put it at 15 and older. I had to give it a rest for a while and listen to something funny before I could finish it. We listened to this on audio. The reader is acceptable but not great. The teen team, The Naturals, are kids who have a certain talent for an aspect of profiling or reading people. They are recruited by the FBI to help with cold cases. Just a little alert, a love triangle is involved and although the murder is solved in this book, there are still unanswered questions that will hopefully be answered as the kids solve other cases in future books.

74.Lonesome Dove
I will warn you that this is a little bit of a rant so you may not want to read it.
Although I have a little bit left to go on this I am going to add it because I will finish it by tomorrow. This book is just really not my cup of tea, so to speak. I actually hate reading it and I am only finishing it because I have to lead a review discussion on it for a book club. I guess if you love a gritty historical you might like it. Or if you are really into westerns you might like it. I am neither of those things. Sometimes I just think that you don't have to talk about how often a cowboy goes to the bathroom and where and when and how he does it.This book is very earthy and down and dirty. I know there are deeper themes but they are a little lost on me because I am just trying to get through it.

75. Marrying The Royal Marine Historical romance with some description of the horrible realities that women faced (this one set in Portugal) during that awful war on the continent with Napoleon's armies. Nice love story, and deals with some of the less lovely things where an opportunity to serve someone can foster love.

76. The Angel Court Affair Listened to this on audio book. I liked the reader. My husband thought the story was slow and boring, I liked it. I enjoy Ann Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries. I had a good idea of who the murderer was but I just couldn't figure out what the motive might be.

77. Tesla's Attic 3 stars. Cute little sci-fi coming of age book. Series beginner.

78. Only a Kiss This was one of the better books in the series. I really enjoyed listening to it.
79. The Inn at Ocean's Edge 3 stars.

80. A Love Like Ours nice.

81. Her Royal Spyness Fun period mystery. I have liked Rhys Bowen's other series. I wasn't quite as enchanted with this one but I enjoyed it. I may or may not go on with the series.

82.Intertwine Had a lot of fun reading this. Just needed some romance and some laughs. 3.5 stars.
83. Divine 3 stars...2nd in the series. I liked the first book better but this was still a cute one.
84.Daughter of Dusk Sequel to Great ending and a great story. Loved both of these fantasy books. 4 stars

85. Refine Continuing on with the series. Just a little time travel fun.

86. Clandestine

87. A Court of Thorns and Roses This was an interesting take on Beauty and the Beast. I liked it but there were too many of those "you are a stupid girl" moments to make it terrific. 3.5

88. Vango: Between Sky and Earth No book cover here. There is one on the French version but I didn't read it in French. This was very good. I wasn't sure if I would like it but I had a hard time putting it down. 4 stars.
89. Reawakened
A new legend to build a story around. I like this a little less than the first couple of Tiger books she wrote but I enjoyed reading it. 3 stars.

90. Keturah and Lord Death Slightly predictable but a nice story. 3.5 stars

91. Protection Detail I read this one a while ago but I think I forgot to add it. 2.5 stars

92. A couple more I forgot... Confessions of a Murder Suspect

93. All the Light We Cannot See 3.5 stars

94. The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark

95. The Bargain

96. Spotlight

97. The Tournament at Gorlan I didn't love this one quite as much as I loved the Ranger Apprentice series. I am not sure I will read the rest. I loved the Ranger apprentice series and read it 2 times. I just get to the point where I just think "we are really done with this".
98. Half a King Exciting new fantasy series. I am looking forward to reading the next two. Thankfully they are all books I can find on the shelf.

99. The Truth According to Us Worth a read but lacked the charm of which she co-wrote.

100. A Redbird Christmas I have been wanting to read a Fannie Flagg for a long time. This one was a cute, heartwarming story to begin the Christmas Season with.

I have started so many books, I just need to finish a few so I can make my goal. Wow, for the first time I may not make it to 104. Yikes, I have to read fast.

101. Starling 3.5 Good YA fanatasy.
102. Stars in Your Eyes This premise is kind of getting old. The first several books were very good, a couple in the middle are good ones, the last ones have been a little tired and forced.

103. I have finally read A Christmas Carol Shame on me for waiting so long. I really enjoyed reading it. Now when I watch Muppet Christmas Carol,( My personal favorite version) I can tell what is authentic and what is not.

104. To Kiss in the Shadows This may not really count. It is a book that was originally in a compilation but what was put out in book form on it's own. It's pretty short but I needed a quick mindless romance.

105. Fire and Ice . Little Christian romance series end. Just some fun.

And with that...I have reached 104! I have also reached my goal of reading less and spending more quality time with my family. It made it much easier that my daughter and her family (my only grandchild) moved in with us while building a house. I can't do any reading with that little toddler around. She is too much fun to play with. I was getting nervous that I wouldn't actually make the 104. Of course, Christmas carols in my stereo instead of Book on CD made it a little more on the iffy side. But Yay! I made it.

106. Named of the Dragon Not my favorite but I like this author anyway. Her facts and historical elements are very interesting to me.

107. The Wrath and the Dawn Loved this one.

108. I’m Glad I Did This historical fiction from the 60's was fun. The mystery was a little lame but I had a good time diving into the atmosphere of the music world in the 60's.

These are the books I forgot to add when I read them. It is a good thing I have kept a shelf for books I read this year. There was a discrepancy between the shelf and these posts. I seem to still be 5 short on this side but I can't figure it out so I guess I won't worry about it too much.

109. The Sheik's Ruby

110. An Ember in the Ashes This might be a favorite of this year. I am ok that it took me so long to read it though. The sequel doesn't come out till next August. Ugh!